His eyes hardened. “I don’t care. This isn’t your secret to tellor hers to know. And her father or one of his cronies could use the knowledgeof Yanchasa to rebel against the throne again.”
Thana’s temples burned, and she resisted the urge to argue thatSylph would never tell her father, but Gunnar couldn’t take her word for it.Sylph had been right when she’d said that their station trapped them in manyways. “You’re right.”
His expression relaxed. “We can’t afford to find their new tunneland chase them. We need to ride to the palace and get ahead of them.”
“If Sylph can collapse their tunnel—”
He shook his head. “That worked back there because there’s littleout this way except some isolated farms to the north.” He winced, no doubtremembering the dead farmers, and Thana prayed to the spirits that no one elsehad suffered from Sylph’s collapse. “Even if she can strengthen the groundafter she collapses the tunnel, there are too many homes closer to Marienne,not to mention the city itself. And we can’t have her filling in the capstonecavern.”
She nodded. They still needed to use it from time to time topacify the Fiend. “I hate the idea of lying to her.”
His smile wasn’t unsympathetic, but he didn’t let her off thehook. “You’ll think of something. Put it on me.”
“Oh, okay,” she said with a snort. “I’d tell you what thatpyramid is, Sylph, but the prince would rather lie to you.”
He clapped her on the shoulder, reminding her of how sore shewas. “Perfect.”
By the time they reached the staircase and got above groundagain, night was falling. Thana rejoiced when Gunnar said they couldn’t riskriding in the dark, even with a light pyramid. Any roads this far in thecountry were so little used, it would become too easy to get lost or risk abroken leg for one of the horses. They did venture away from the farm, into thebeginning of a forest before setting up camp.
Sylph had filled in the staircase, though Thana had made sure towatch her, the image of her entombed in the stone rattling around in recentmemory.
Thana helped picket the horses, and when she turned to the smallcamp with its merry fire, she couldn’t help noticing that the two tents satquite far apart. She stared, her mind kicking up too many thoughts to sortuntil Dina slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“Not trying to push or anything, but now’s your chance,” Dinasaid. “Quiet night following a brush with death, very good for the libido. Wedon’t need to set a watch because no one knows we’re out here. You and the ladycan get cozy.” She shrugged. “Or be so energetic that you get tangled in theblankets. Whichever you prefer.”
Thana’s heart thundered even as she tingled all over. “I…” Shewanted to be with Sylph, alone in that tent, but Dina looked so smug, and shehated being set up. “The mud…”
“Lady Sylph,” Dina called. “We found a small spring just pastthose trees there if you want to wash up.” She grinned.
Sylph thanked her, and Thana glared.
“Your turn after her,” Dina said. “Or catch her at the spring. Idon’t care.”
“Will you be outside our tent praying to your patron spirits?”Thana asked.
“Sort of. By being in my tent giving the prince a rubdown afterall our exertions.” She winked. “And getting quite the rubdown in return, Imight add. A moment of leisure after a brush with death isn’t just good foryour libido, you know.” After a laugh, she sauntered over to her tent.
Sylph had already finished when Thana got to the spring. Sheworried slightly all through her own quick wash and on her journey back to thetent. She felt almost as she had at the manor house, but she and Sylph had comeso far from the sniping pair they’d been.
At least the sniping had led to bursts of passion.
Though it was cowardly, she told herself she’d let Sylph lead theway. After using her pyramid so deeply, she might be tired, might want tocuddle or sleep on opposite sides of the tent or…
Sylph kissed her as soon as she ducked her head inside, pullingher the rest of the way in. Thana’s fears flew out the tent flap anddisappeared as Sylph’s arms went around her. Thana half stumbled, half fellinto a nest of blankets, and when she reached out, she found bare flesh.
She moaned and gasped for air as Sylph pulled back slightly.
“Is this all right?” Sylph asked breathlessly, her voice small, hesitant,so far from a duke’s daughter that Thana pulled her in again without thinking.
“So right.” She lost herself in Sylph, more than happy to beexplored. For someone new to love in all its forms, Sylph seemed keen to learn.And it was better than Thana had imagined as each assured the other, mumbledloving words, and discovered how best to please each other.
“I feel like I almost lost you,” Thana said as she breathed hard,the truth spilling out in the wake of ardor.
“Will never happen,” Sylph mumbled into her shoulder. “I’m righthere. I’ll stay here.” She pulled Thana close again as if she meant they couldstay here forever.
Thana wished that were true as Sylph’s touch roamed her bodyagain as if seeking to coax more passion out of her. For a moment, she thoughtshe had no more to give, but she returned the caresses and kisses and found anundiscovered store.
Tomorrow didn’t matter, not now when they had each other.
Chapter Nineteen
Sylph woke up smiling, the first time in her life that sheremembered doing so. The night’s events replayed in her mind as she looked atthe dark hair poking out from under the blanket. She feared moving, scared towake Thana and break this blissful peace. It was even better than being onewith the stone, which had been as soothing as she imagined the womb to be.
She shifted slightly, seeking Thana’s warmth under the covers,but the prince called from outside, and Thana’s head shot out from under theblankets.
“Is it?” Thana asked sleepily, blinking at the tent.
Sylph smiled and tilted her head. “Is what?”
“What?”
